The Department for Migrant Workers (DMW) is set to establish a new digital command center to provide a peripheral view of global events and assist Filipinos overseas, reported the Philippine media. The department plans to operate the command center by the end of November.
In this regard, the International Organization on Migration (IOM) donated computers and electronic equipment to the department on 18 October, under the authority of DMW Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople. The devices will record the database of migration data and global analyses.
However, Ople clarified that the initiative will not provide immediate assistance to distressed OFWs, unlike the One Repatriation Command Center (ORCC). Supported by IOM which has long backed up research on the relationship between migration and climate change, the command center will instead give the DMW a comprehensive look at world events, track and monitor Filipino migrant workers, as well as climate change, in addition to making critical analysis of how these global affairs impact overseas workers.
The IOM 2021 report identified migration as a strategy adopted by vulnerable Filipino communities to overcome climate emergency, noting the vital role of permanent migrants in providing humanitarian aid to Filipinos struck by natural calamities, especially super typhoons.
